Viyahapannatti 1.6: Uddeśaka 6: yāvaṃta

"Venerable Sir! From across as much interval of space as the rising sun swiftly comes within the range of vision of the eye, does the setting sun also swiftly come within the range of vision of the eye from across just as much interval of space?"
"Yes, Gautama! From across as much interval of space as the rising sun swiftly comes within the range of vision of the eye, from across just as much interval of space the setting sun also swiftly comes within the range of vision of the eye."
"Venerable Sir! As much area as the rising sun illuminates, lights up, warms, and shines upon all around on every side with its heat, does the setting sun also illuminate, light up, warm, and shine upon just as much area all around on every side with its heat?"
"Yes, Gautama! As much area as the rising sun illuminates, lights up, warms, and shines upon all around on every side with its heat, the setting sun also illuminates, lights up, warms, and shines upon just as much area all around on every side with its heat."
"Venerable Sir! Does it illuminate what is touched, or illuminate what is untouched?"
"Gautama! It illuminates what is touched, not what is untouched."
"Venerable Sir! Does it illuminate what is entered into, or illuminate what is not entered into?"
"Gautama! It illuminates what is entered into, not what is not entered into."
"Venerable Sir! Does it illuminate what is immediately entered into, or illuminate what is mediately entered into?"
"Gautama! It illuminates what is immediately entered into, not what is mediately entered into."
"Venerable Sir! Does it illuminate the subtle, or illuminate the gross?"
"Gautama! It illuminates the subtle as well, and illuminates the gross as well."
"Venerable Sir! Does it illuminate upwards, illuminate sideways, or illuminate downwards?"
"Gautama! It illuminates upwards as well, illuminates sideways as well, and illuminates downwards as well."
"Venerable Sir! Does it illuminate the beginning, illuminate the middle, or illuminate the end?"
"Gautama! It illuminates the beginning as well, illuminates the middle as well, and illuminates the end as well."
"Venerable Sir! Does it illuminate its own domain, or illuminate what is beyond its domain?"
"Gautama! It illuminates its own domain, not what is beyond its domain."
"Venerable Sir! Does it illuminate successively, or illuminate non-successively?"
"Gautama! It illuminates successively, not non-successively."
"Venerable Sir! In how many directions does it illuminate?"
"Gautama! Invariably it illuminates in six directions."
Likewise: it lights up, warms, shines upon.
"Is it indeed so, Venerable Sir, that during the moment of the time of touching, as much area as it touches, so much—while touching—may be said to be touched?"
"Yes, Gautama! During the moment of the time of touching, as much area as it touches, so much—while touching—may be said to be touched."
"Venerable Sir! Does it touch what is touched, or touch what is untouched?"
"Gautama! It touches what is touched, not what is untouched, up to: invariably it touches in six directions."

"Venerable Sir! Does the edge of the cosmos touch the edge of the non-cosmos, and does the edge of the non-cosmos also touch the edge of the cosmos?"
"Yes, Gautama! The edge of the cosmos touches the edge of the non-cosmos, and the edge of the non-cosmos also touches the edge of the cosmos."
"Venerable Sir! Does it touch what is touched, or touch what is untouched?"
"Gautama! It touches what is touched, not what is untouched, up to: invariably it touches in six directions."
"Venerable Sir! Does the edge of an island touch the edge of an ocean, and does the edge of an ocean also touch the edge of an island?"
"Yes, Gautama! The edge of an island touches the edge of an ocean, and the edge of an ocean also touches the edge of an island, up to: invariably it touches in six directions."
"Venerable Sir! Does the edge of water touch the edge of a boat, and does the edge of a boat also touch the edge of water?"
"Yes, Gautama! The edge of water touches the edge of a boat, and the edge of a boat touches the edge of water, up to: invariably it touches in six directions."
"Venerable Sir! Does the edge of a hole touch the edge of a cloth, and does the edge of a cloth also touch the edge of a hole?"
"Yes, Gautama! The edge of a hole touches the edge of a cloth, and the edge of a cloth also touches the edge of a hole, up to: invariably it touches in six directions."
"Venerable Sir! Does the edge of shade touch the edge of sunshine, and does the edge of sunshine also touch the edge of shade?"
"Yes, Gautama! The edge of shade touches the edge of sunshine, and the edge of sunshine also touches the edge of shade, up to: invariably it touches in six directions."

"Is it the case, Venerable Sir, that for living beings the action of harming living beings is performed?"
"Yes, it is."
"Venerable Sir, is it performed touched or untouched?"
"Gautama, it is performed touched, not untouched, up to: without obstruction in the six directions; dependent upon obstruction, it may be in three directions, it may be in four directions, or it may be in five directions."
"Venerable Sir, is that [action] performed having been done, or having not been done?"
"Gautama, it is performed having been done, not having not been done."
"Venerable Sir, is it performed as done by oneself, done by another, or done by both?"
"Gautama, it is performed as done by oneself, not done by another, nor done by both."
"Venerable Sir, is it performed as done in sequence, or done without sequence?"
"Gautama, it is performed as done in sequence, not done without sequence. That which has been done, is being done, and will be done—all that is done in sequence, not done without sequence: so it should be stated."
"Is it the case, Venerable Sir, that for inhabitants of hell the action of harming living beings is performed?"
"Yes, it is."
"Venerable Sir, is it performed touched or untouched?"
"Gautama, it is performed touched, not untouched, up to: necessarily performed in the six directions."
"Venerable Sir, is that [action] performed having been done, or having not been done?"
"Gautama, it is performed having been done, not having not been done."
The same [is to be said] up to: 'so it should be stated: [all that is done in sequence], not done without sequence.'
As for inhabitants of hell, so it should be stated for [all] up to beings in celestial abodes, excluding one-sensed beings. For one-sensed beings, it should be stated as for [general] living beings.
As for harming living beings, so for false speech, so for taking what is not given, sexual intercourse, possessiveness, anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment, aversion, quarreling, false accusation, slander, speaking ill of others, discontent and delight, deceitful lying, and the thorn of false view—thus these eighteen [should be spoken of]. The twenty-four groups of existences should be stated.
"So it is, Venerable Sir! So it is, Venerable Sir!" Saying this, the venerable Gautama bowed to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, up to: and lived [content].

At that time and in that period, there was a disciple of the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, a homeless ascetic named Roha, naturally gentle, naturally tranquil, with anger, pride, deceit, and greed naturally attenuated, endowed with mildness and humility, reserved, well-disciplined, who, not far and not too close to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, with knees raised and head lowered, entered into the chamber of meditation, cultivating himself through self-restraint and austerity, was dwelling.
Then that homeless ascetic Roha, whose faith had arisen, up to: paying homage, spoke thus:
"Venerable Sir, was the cosmos first and the non-cosmos later, or was the non-cosmos first and the cosmos later?"
"Roha, the cosmos and the non-cosmos—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, were living beings first and non-living beings later, or were non-living beings first and living beings later?"
"Roha, living beings and non-living beings—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, were those capable of liberation first and those incapable of liberation later, or were those incapable of liberation first and those capable of liberation later?"
"Roha, those capable of liberation and those incapable of liberation—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, was liberation first and non-liberation later, or was non-liberation first and liberation later?"
"Roha, liberation and non-liberation—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, were liberated souls first and unliberated souls later, or were unliberated souls first and liberated souls later?"
"Roha, liberated souls and unliberated souls—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, was the egg first and the hen later, or was the hen first and the egg later?"
"Roha, whence is that egg?"
"Lord, from the hen."
"And whence is that hen?"
"Venerable Sir, from the egg."
"Just so, Roha! That egg and that hen—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, was the end of the cosmos first and the end of the non-cosmos later, or was the end of the non-cosmos first and the end of the cosmos later?"
"Roha, the end of the cosmos and the end of the non-cosmos—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, was the end of the cosmos first and the seventh space-interval later, or was the seventh space-interval first and the end of the cosmos later?"
"Roha, the end of the cosmos and the seventh space-interval—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
In this way [concerning] the end of the cosmos and the seventh thin vapor; likewise dense vapor, dense water, and the seventh earth. In this way, the end of the cosmos is to be combined individually with these items, namely:

Space-interval, vapor, dense water, earth, islands and oceans, realms,
inhabitants of hell and other existences, astikāyas, samayas, karmas, and leśyās;

View, perception, and knowledge; instincts, bodies, activities, and application;
substances, space-points, modes, and time: [with each of these] is the end of the cosmos first?

“Venerable Sir! Is the end of the world first and past time later? Or is past time first and the end of the world later?”
“Rohā! Both the end of the world and past time were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
“Venerable Sir! Is the end of the world first and future time later? Or is future time first and the end of the world later?”
“Rohā! Both the end of the world and future time were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
“Venerable Sir! Is the end of the world first and all time later? Or is all time first and the end of the world later?”
“Rohā! Both the end of the world and all time were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!
Just as all these categories have been combined with the end of the world, so too all are to be combined with the non-world boundary.
“Venerable Sir! Is the seventh inter-spatial space first and the seventh rarefied wind later? Or is the seventh rarefied wind first and the seventh inter-spatial space later?”
“Rohā! Both the seventh inter-spatial space and the seventh rarefied wind were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
In this way, the seventh inter-spatial space is to be combined with all [the categories] up to all time.
“Venerable Sir! Is the seventh rarefied wind first and the seventh dense wind later? Or is the seventh dense wind first and the seventh rarefied wind later?”
“Rohā! Both the seventh rarefied wind and the seventh dense wind were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
In the very same manner, it is to be carried out up to all time.
Thus combining each upper one [in turn], discarding whichever is lower, it should be carried out up to: past and future time, then all time—up to: “there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
“So it is, Venerable Sir! So it is, Venerable Sir!”—and so on, until he continues to dwell.

Saying “Venerable Sir!”, the venerable Gautama questioned the ascetic, the Lord Mahāvīra, up to: and spoke thus:
“In how many ways, Venerable Sir, has the stability of the world been expounded?”
“Gautama! The stability of the world has been expounded in eight ways, that is to say: 1. Wind rests on space. 2. The ocean rests on wind. 3. The earth rests on the ocean. 4. Mobile and immobile beings rest on the earth. 5. Non-living entities rest on living beings. 6. Living beings rest on karma. 7. Non-living entities are contained by living beings. 8. Living beings are contained by karma.”
“For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said thus: ‘The stability of the world is of eight kinds’, up to: ‘living beings are contained by karma’?”
“Gautama! Just as some man might inflate a leather bag, and having inflated the leather bag, ties the upper opening; having tied it, he ties a knot in the middle; having tied it, he unties the upper knot; having untied it, he turns the upper section [inside out]; having turned it, he fills the upper section with water; having filled it, he ties the upper opening; and having tied it, he unties the middle knot. Would not that water, Gautama, remain on the upper surface of that air?”
“Yes, it would remain.”
“For that reason, Gautama, it is said: ‘The stability of the world is of eight kinds’, up to: ‘living beings are contained by karma’.
Or just as some man might inflate a leather bag, and having inflated the leather bag, ties it to his waist; having tied it, he enters water that is fathomless, impassable, and deeper than a man's height. Would not that man, Gautama, remain on the upper surface of that water?”
“Yes, he would remain.”
“In this way also, the stability of the world is of eight kinds, up to: living beings are contained by karma.”

“Are living beings and matter, Venerable Sir, mutually bound, mutually touched, mutually interpenetrated, mutually tied by adhesion, and remain in a state of mutual cohesion?”
“Yes, they are.”
“For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: ‘Living beings and matter are mutually bound, mutually touched, mutually interpenetrated, mutually tied by adhesion, and remain in a state of mutual cohesion’?”
“Gautama! Suppose there were a pool, full, at maximum capacity, overflowing, pouring over, remaining like a fully packed vessel.
Then some man into that pool were to launch a large boat having a hundred inflows and a hundred holes. Would not that boat, Gautama, filling and filling through those inflow-openings, become full, at maximum capacity, overflowing, pouring over, and remain like a fully packed vessel?”
“Yes, it would remain.”
“For that reason, Gautama, it is said: ‘Living beings and matter are mutually bound, mutually touched, mutually interpenetrated, mutually tied by adhesion, and remain in a state of mutual cohesion’.”

“Does subtle moisture-body, Venerable Sir, constantly and continuously fall?”
“Yes, it does.”
“Does it fall upward, Venerable Sir? Does it fall downward? Does it fall horizontally?”
“Gautama! It falls upward too, it falls downward too, and it falls horizontally too.”
“Just as gross water-body, having united mutually, remains for a long time, does it also do so?”
“That meaning is not tenable. It quickly undergoes disintegration.”
“So it is, Venerable Sir! So it is, Venerable Sir!”